The Landmark

One of the most amazing features of the 180,000-square-foot supermarket and food court at the Landmark Department Store in Manila is the fact that the ceiling heights average only 11 feet throughout the store. To prevent a claustrophobic feeling, a series of light-colored floating panels are suspended below the exposed ceiling structure that, in turn, is painted dark. As a result, it creates the illusion of a much taller and spacious environment throughout the 94,000-square-foot supermarket and 51,000-square-foot food court. Hugh A. Boyd Architects masked the structural columns reinforced with armatures by wrapping them in bowl-shaped fabrications. The bowls become a further design element.